The Tortoise Is Still Right: Slow And Steady Can Win The Race

Consumers are cooling to the Groupon approach. Website traffic for Steals.com grew 9% this May and June over last year compared to a 10% decline for Groupon.

By Geri Stengel (Contributor, Forbes)

Jana Francis and Rett Clevenger launched Steals in April of 2008, well before the rise of Big Boy daily deal sites, like Groupon and Livingsocial. Compared to Steals, Groupon and other’s product offerings are “a mile wide and inch deep,” said Francis.

Steals markets to women. It builds on the way women shop and what they want from an online merchant. It is an example of carving out your own niche rather than trying to duke it out with bigger, better financed competition. And, as I’ve written before, customer service rules.

Marketing to women is a growth market and gender-awareness can pay off, as others are finding.